1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle bottom structure in which a fuel tank made of resin is mounted to the bottom of a vehicle, a muffler silencer is installed rearward of the fuel tank, and a muffler pipe extending from the front of the vehicle passes the side of the fuel tank and is connected to the muffler silencer.
2. Background of the Invention
In recent years, the material for fuel tanks has changed from sheet metal to resin to handle increasingly complicated shapes of vehicle body floors. Generally, a fuel tank is mounted to the bottom of a vehicle on the rear side thereof, and exhaust system components (a muffler pipe, a muffler silencer, and the like) reaching a high temperature are disposed around the fuel tank. In cases where the fuel tank is made of resin, it is necessary to take measures to prevent the exhaust system components from being brought into contact with the fuel tank when the vehicle is involved in an accident such as a rear-end collision.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-148981 discloses a technology in which a rear bumper stay disposed rearward of a muffler silencer is provided with a pressing bracket pressing the muffler silencer downward when the rear bumper stay is displaced forward. According to Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-148981, in cases where a vehicle is involved in a rear-end collision, the pressing bracket enables the muffler silencer to be forcibly pushed down, and the muffler silencer can be prevented from being brought into contact with the fuel tank.
With the technology disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-148981, since the muffler silencer is forcibly pushed down when the vehicle is involved in a rear-end collision, a muffler pipe and the like are also pushed down following the movement of the muffler silencer. That is to say, the technology disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-148981 positively allows downward displacement of the muffler silencer including the exhaust system components connected thereto. Here, in cases where a plurality of exhaust system components are positively displaced downward, these components may be brought into contact with the ground, and this displacement may cause the vehicle body to be damaged more than necessary.
The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and it is an object thereof to provide a vehicle bottom structure that, in the case where a vehicle is involved in an accident such as a rear-end collision, can prevent an exhaust system component reaching a high temperature from being brought into contact with a fuel tank without causing any trouble.